With a rims system, you're going to have better control of the temperature and no hot spots.

With the temp sensor the way you have it, if you don't implement a manifold to evenly distribute the heated wort over the grain bed you're going to be developing hot spots as you'll be measuring the temperature only at the spot where the sensor is located and other areas in the grain bed can get colder or hotter.

If the temp sensor reads too low, the element is going to apply more heat. If that heat wort is sent back to the tun but away from where the temp sensor is, the setup will develop a much hotter spot where the work is coming back in until the temperature spreads over to the temp sensor. It's pretty much analogous to building a rims where the temp sensor is placed before the element in the tube.

Rims takes that possibility away by measuring the wort temp just as it has been heated by the element.

One thing to keep in mind is that if the temp sensor reads low and the element overheats the work to compensate, you'll end up with denatured proteins before your grain bed reaches the appropriate temperature. Once proteins are denatured, there is no process to revert that. You may end up with beer in the end, but you may have problems with obtaining your desired body profile.

With a rims system, you're going to have better control of the temperature and no hot spots.

With the temp sensor the way you have it, if you don't implement a manifold to evenly distribute the heated wort over the grain bed you're going to be developing hot spots as you'll be measuring the temperature only at the spot where the sensor is located and other areas in the grain bed can get colder or hotter.

If the temp sensor reads too low, the element is going to apply more heat. If that heat wort is sent back to the tun but away from where the temp sensor is, the setup will develop a much hotter spot where the work is coming back in until the temperature spreads over to the temp sensor. It's pretty much analogous to building a rims where the temp sensor is placed before the element in the tube.

Rims takes that possibility away by measuring the wort temp just as it has been heated by the element.

You can do this with a direct fire RIMS, too. You just need to keep the temperature probe down in the space under the false bottom.

This is a no-sparge, electrically heated RIMS system which is similar to the commercially available http://www.speidels-braumeister.de/T...ster:_:21.html. The only real difference is that the braumeister is more like a BIAB system because the wort is also boiled in the same vessel.

The only real downside to a no sparge system is diminished efficiency as the OG goes up.

This is a no-sparge, electrically heated RIMS system which is similar to the commercially available http://www.speidels-braumeister.de/T...ster:_:21.html. The only real difference is that the braumeister is more like a BIAB system because the wort is also boiled in the same vessel.

The only real downside to a no sparge system is diminished efficiency as the OG goes up.

This is also homemade for a mere $380, and larger than their 50L model, which is over 2000 euros (close $2,7000USD). My False bottom space is comparable in size to the portion above the divider that holds the grain bed, my pump is also moving close to the entire volume of liquid through the grain bed every 3 minutes and the grain is in an almost constantly fluidized state. I think this might be one of the reasons I'm getting much higher efficiency than I've ever had with BIAB.

Just to be sure, I wasn't suggesting someone would be better off buying the Speidel rather than build one. I was just classifying the system type and offering up an example of a commercial unit for those playing along.